Initial Meaning
/ɪˈnɪʃ.əl/Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
adjChronologically first, early; of or pertaining to the beginning, cause or origin.
adjSpatially first, placed at the beginning, in the first position; especially said of the first letter of a word.
Sentence Examples
The initial symptoms of the disease are fever and sore throat.
The novel had an initial print run of 10,000 copies.
There is an initial payment of £60 followed by ten instalments of £25.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The ____ step in the entire experiment requires careful measurement of all chemicals.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
My ____ reaction to the news was one of great surprise, but then I felt very happy for them.
Word Origin & History
From Middle French initial or directly from its Latin etymon initiālis (“of the beginning, incipient, initial”), from initium (“a going in, entrance, beginning”), from inire (“to go in, enter upon, begin”), from in (“in”) + ire (“to go”).
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"Meanwhile Nanny Broome was recovering from her initial panic and seemed anxious to make up for any kudos she might have lost, by exerting her personality to the utmost. She took the policeman's helmet and placed it on a chair, and unfolded his tunic to shake it and fold it up again for him."
— 1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 19, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC:
"While the first part to Manchester is level after the initial climb out of Liverpool, the section over the Pennines between Manchester and Leeds is very difficult, with steep gradients as well as many slowings over junctions and curves."
— 2021 January 13, David Clough, “Trans-Pennine transport transformers”, in RAIL, issue 922, page 58:
"Thus, when he drew up instructions in lawyer language, he expressed the important words by an initial, a medial, or a final consonant, and made scratches for all the words between; his clerks, however, understood him very well."
— 1892, Walter Besant, “Prologue: Who is Edmund Gray?”, in The Ivory Gate […], New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers, […], →OCLC:
"The point of interest about this particular specimen was that it must have remained intact for at least a quarter of a century, as it had embossed in the frosted glass the initials of the old Great North of Scotland Railway in the form of a scroll, the sort of relic of pre-grouping days that can still be found here and there if one is observant."
— 1952 February, H. C. Casserley, “Permanent Wayfarings”, in Railway Magazine, page 77:
Explore More C1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The ____ step in the entire experiment requires careful measurement of all chemicals.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
My ____ reaction to the news was one of great surprise, but then I felt very happy for them.